My 9 year old rottweiler was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma bone cancer. right now it is centralized in his left hind leg at the knee. I am destroyed about this. I do not want him to suffer nor do I want to lose him. I have the option of amputation. This is a tough decision for me to make. Those of you who can guide me or who have exprienced this situation PLEASE HELP. I will not be offended if responses come back to have him euthanized. The vet could not give me a solid answer as to if the surgery is performed that the cancer will cease it's evil attack on the rest of his body or if he is strong enough to survive the surgery. thank you in advance for all your help.
2007-05-09 11:49:46 · 16 answers · asked by The Baby 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It's so hard when a beloved furry friend gets sick - especially with cancer. I'm so sorry!
I have had 4 dogs (we have a #5 now) thru out my lifetime, and I made the decision to put them down rather than to subject them to operations. Dogs are simple creatures - they don't understand why they hurt, or that it might give them another 11 months with the person they love - they just know it hurts.
For that reason alone, I would put your dog down.
All my best to you in this difficult time!
Cindy
2007-05-09 12:01:21 · answer #1 · answered by Cindy T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am so sorry that you have to go through this. It is a tough call. I had two Dobermans with osteosarcoma. One was diagnosed & I even took him to a cancer specialist vet. They could amputate, but the cancer had alredy spread to his lungs so it would not have saved his life. He lived about 10 months after he was diagnoised. His cancer was up in the hip area. The other Dobie, the cancer was down around where the ankle would be. I took him to a bone specialist vet and they suggested I amputate. I asked them to do a chest xray to see if it had spread to his lungs, I was told his lungs were clear. Since the cancer was far from the body I thought the dog had a good chance at survival.Well the amputation was done, the dog did fine until about six months later. He began to have difficulty breathing so I took him to my regular vet. She did a chest xray and there was three golf ball size cancers in his lung. Now the question in my mind was, did the vet that did the amputation lie to me ? I'll never know. Unfortunately I had to have him euthanized to end his suffering. Was the amputation worth it, not as I seen it. All the suffering & thousands of dollars was not worth six months. The non-amputee lived 10 months & the amputee lasted 6 months. I can not tell you what to do with your dog, I can only give you my experience. I would ask your vet to do a chest xray. I wish you all the best & my heart goes out to you. EDIT: I failed to mention that both dogs were put on pain medication & it helped a lot. Ask your vet about Deramaxx. Maybe you can put your dog on the medication & still enjoy some quality time with him. My first Dobie to get this horrible disease was 91/2 years old and the second was only 6 years old.
2007-05-09 20:09:04 · answer #2 · answered by ® 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I feel so bad for you and your dog being in this situation. My biggest concerns about amputation would be his age. First, how hard on him would the surgery be? And second, he's 9 years old and rotties don't often live past 9. The vet can't possibly guarantee the cancer won't come back, or hasn't spread. I'd be asking myself how much this surgery would really prolong his life and is it worth it to put him through it at his age?
It's a tough call but you know your dog best. You need to think of what's best for him right now, leaving your feelings out of it - as hard as that is.
I once put a dog through sheer misery to prolong his life and he lost it anyway in the end. The circumstances were entirely different, but if I had it to do over again knowing what he'd go through, I would not have put him through it.
2007-05-09 20:52:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs can adjust quite easily to having only 3 legs. That said... your dog is not young. Having only 3 legs will make it tougher on his other legs (knees, hips, etc) which will probably increase any arthritis that he probably already has.
I would talk to your vet in depth about this. Perhaps get another vet's opinion as well. Perhaps they can biopsy higher up the leg to determine if the cancer is only in that (amputatable) area or if it's beyond that.
Good luck. It's not an easy decision. All you can do is get the most information you can and determine what is in the best interest of your dog. Remember that quality of life is more important than quantity of life. But also know that many, many dogs and cats live quite fulfilling lives with fewer parts than others.
2007-05-09 19:07:17 · answer #4 · answered by kittikatti69 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs do well with only 3 limbs. Even better when it is a hind leg that is amputated rather than a front. Also, have you thought about chemotherapy? You should discuss that option with your veterinarian. Like I said, dogs can live perfectly normal lives with 3 legs and you may be giving him a few more years of life.
2007-05-09 19:05:55 · answer #5 · answered by VetTech1016 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thankfully it's never happened to me, but a friend had to have a dogs leg amputated because of cancer. He was lucky and went on to live a healthy and normal life until he passed away at age 11. I believe he was about 3 when he got the cancer.
If your vet thinks he has a good chance of making it then I would at least give him the chance to live.
Sending prayers for you both.
2007-05-09 19:02:40 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. P's Person 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally I would at least try the surgery if the vet thought it could be a success. Dogs and cats both do well with only three legs. If it doesn't work out and he starts to suffer then yes you should be him to sleep. Good luck
2007-05-09 22:47:51 · answer #7 · answered by Heidi B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm very sorry about this tough descision you have to make. From what I've seen, I know that dogs can live happy, healthy lives after they've had an amputation! I've never seen a dog that seems to notice at all. They can run just as fast, or faster, than a dog with 4 legs. It makes no difference to them. :]
Whatever your descision, good luck and take care.
2007-05-09 19:08:40 · answer #8 · answered by eggie. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would request chest x-rays before making a decision. If the tumor has spread, the lungs are the most likely place for it to be found, and if it HAS spread, amputation will be useless, and just cause your dog to waste time and energy trying to recover from the amputation when he is only going to go down hill quickly shortly thereafter. Osteosarcoma is a nasty disease to deal with- I would prefer not forcing my dog to suffer for a longer time just to try to keep him/her with me longer. That would be selfish, IMO.
2007-05-09 19:09:18 · answer #9 · answered by Phoenix Dell'incrocio 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dogs do well with only three legs however osteosarcoma is a nasty and very painful disease and it may not be a cure for him but may only extend his life. If you can afford the op but realise you may still only have a few more months with him go for the op. However he has lived a long life so far and no one will berate you if you decide for euthanasia
2007-05-09 18:57:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋